Autumnal asthenia is a mild disorder associated with the organism’s difficulty in adapting to the changes of the new season.
Despite being a temporary syndrome, which does not usually last more than 15 days, its symptoms can weaken your mood and health.
Therefore, you must know how to detect its symptoms to prevent them and act as soon as possible.
In any case, if they last more than a few weeks, visit your doctor in case other disorders could be treated, such as anemia or hypothyroidism.
Symptoms of autumnal asthenia
After the summer, with those sunny afternoons on the terrace, the dark clouds and the coldest and longest nights arrive.
So said, it sounds logical that it emotionally affects anyone.
However, there is a scientific explanation for the discouragement it brings.
One of the main responsible for asthenia is melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep.
While melatonin increases and the feeling of tiredness, with the decrease in sunlight, serotonin decreases, thus generating drowsiness, fatigue, and sadness.
In addition, the arrival of autumn usually coincides with the return to routine and less dedication to outdoor activities with friends and family.
This hormonal imbalance is frequently associated with greater difficulty concentrating, a decrease in libido and defences.
Tips to overcome it
Once the body adjusts to the changes in light and temperature, the symptoms disappear after a few days, but it is convenient to prevent their appearance by following these tips:
Eat a strategic diet. A balanced diet will be your great ally against the symptoms of asthenia. Eat foods rich in fibre, iron, vitamins and proteins and drink two litres of water daily. A key nutrient that you cannot forget to include is tryptophan, an essential amino acid in the manufacture of serotonin, present in milk, eggs, meat, fish, nuts and fruits such as pineapple, banana or avocado.
Take advantage of the sunny hours. Try to expose yourself to the sun every day for at least half an hour. Sunlight helps reduce melatonin and secrete serotonin, the happiness hormone.
Get moderate exercise. It is no secret that sport makes you generate endorphins, which will help you be in a better mood and strengthen your health, avoiding possible colds.
Sleep between 7 and 9 hours. To prevent fatigue, it is necessary to force the body to get used to regular rest times. Go to bed and get up simultaneously every day, including weekends, and try to get about 8 hours of sleep a day.
Get motivated. Returning to the routine can be boring and emotionally affecting. Think positive and try to reserve a time each week to disconnect, do activities that you like and spend time with your loved ones.
Do relaxing activities. Meditate, swim, take a walk or read your favourite book with a cup of coffee. Find activities that relax you daily to relieve tension and stress.In the same way, it is advisable to strengthen the defences to prevent symptoms and infections associated with the drop in temperatures.
Melancholy, sadness, lack of concentration, tiredness or lack of appetite are some of the symptoms shown by children who suffer from autumnal asthenia, a transitory state that causes an alteration of their biological rhythm and can hinder school performance. According to Dr. Fernando Baixauli, a pediatrician, autumn “implies fewer hours of light, lower temperatures and a hectic pace of school and extracurricular activities.”
“Seasonal changes cause an alteration in the levels of certain hormones, specifically melatonin, a hormone related to sleep that has been associated with seasonal affective disorder,” says Baixauli. He adds that the hormone linked to depression is produced at higher levels in the dark. Thus, when the days are shorter and darker, more melatonin is produced, and there is a decrease in beta-endorphin, the lack of which causes irritability, nervousness, sadness, tiredness and apathy. The symptoms of autumnal asthenia last between a week and a fortnight. According to the specialist, “if the clear symptoms of asthenia last for more than fifteen days or if the child also associates mucus, earache, low-grade fever (37.5-37.8 ºC), weight loss or diarrhea, it will no longer be treats of asthenia ».
“If these symptoms are added, the child should be taken to the pediatrician since it may be the beginning of a disease such as a cold, gastroenteritis, otitis or even an allergy,” he warns.
The predisposition of some children to suffer from autumnal asthenia is obvious, but their lifestyle is a determining factor in preventing it. «To combat this state of mind, it is important to respect the hours of sleep, exercise and lead a healthy life in general, “according to the expert, who adds that the little ones need an established routine” for their physical and psychological development to be adequate. “The pediatrician recommends doing physical exercise outdoors, as it stimulates the release of dopamine and endorphins “which lift the spirits of the little ones.”
On the other hand, a balanced diet and a healthy diet “are indisputable pillars to prevent asthenia,” and it is advisable to include proteins of high biological value in the daily diet as well as vitamins of group B which improves serotonin levels.
After spending a desired summer, full of plans and maximum enjoyment, autumn arrives, and each one enters it differently. And some are more sensitive to seasonal changes and may experience certain discomforts, both physically and mentally, that should be addressed. When we know what is happening to us, we can embrace and understand ourselves with more intensity and turn a moment of apparent crisis into a very positive transformation. If you feel identified, we will tell you how to combat autumnal asthenia with some simple tips that you can apply. Take note!
The arrival of autumn means a return to the routine after a period of more free time, a particularly pleasant climate and long and bright days. Suddenly we find ourselves again looking for warm clothes, deciding if we are going to train or watching a movie on the sofa and limiting our plans because night falls immediately. Getting up early gets complicated, and every time, it becomes a more expensive job to get out of bed and get into the shower to start a new day. We see the images of the summer that just passed, in which we visited beaches, quickly dressed in a couple of clothes and sported an advertisement tan.
Against this background … how do we expect to assimilate the entry of autumn? The days get shorter and darker, and the cold gradually takes over the days and. Consequently, our body and mind are affected by autumnal asthenia, also known as seasonal depression. The good news is that a change in perspective can go a long way toward fighting it. We will tell you.
